In the Open Cage

Chapter 27

Misa glanced down the stairs then back at Royle and Sha'ka, beginning to get just a bit antsy. What was taking him so long? Misa had kept her meet with Sha'ka short because she wasn't sure when Nisha would return, but at this rate, even those thirty minutes would have been for naught if Nisha returned to catch Royle with Sha'ka.

Misa stood and leaned on the wall, tapping her foot on the tile. Her attention continued to vacillate between the captain and the stairwell. Her impatience was getting the better of her. Misa began towards Royle, half-wanting to give him a piece of her mind.

However, before she could even move past the stairs, Royle and Sha'ka parted, and the former quickly approached her. Misa immediately picked up on his mood. His face was pale, his lips set in a thin line. He didn't slow down as he passed her, and he grabbed her hand and pulled her along without waiting for her to match his brisk pace.

"Royle!" Misa let out a yell, managing to catch herself before she tumbled down the stairs.

He paused for a split second, hooked his arm under her legs and flew down the staircase until he reached their floor. Misa was too stunned to even protest, and he had let her down on the level ground by the time she'd found her bearings. Still he rushed, keeping his hold on her.

"What's wrong?" Misa asked. He flung open the door, pulled her in, and shut it behind him.

He whirled around and gripped her shoulders, panting, his breaths shallow and shaky. The fear in his eyes struck her like lightning. What had Sha'ka told him? Misa thought back to her conversation with Sha'ka. Despite Misa's vague explanations, the witch had somehow figured out that Nisha was threatening Royle to keep her under control.

Had this been what Royle found out? Had Sha'ka told Royle everything despite Misa explicitly asking her not to? Betrayal seeped in, and Misa felt a pang of hurt.

"Tell me what's going on, Misa," he said. He slid his hands to her face, preventing her from dropping her head. "I need you to tell me what you're hiding."

Misa blinked, surprised by his sudden request. So, it hadn't been about Nisha. What then? What had Sha'ka told him?

"Royle, why are you acting like this?" She grabbed one of his hands with the intent to pull it from her face. The guilt was making her uncomfortable.

"I can't fucking do this anymore. I can't sit around and do nothing when your life is in danger. So please, tell me what that bitch has been doing to you."

The anger, the fear, the frustration edged closer to the surface. He was on the brink of breaking, and it was all because of her. Misa couldn't take it. It hurt to see him so desperate to maintain control.

She slid her fingers through his and squeezed his hand. "What did Sha'ka tell you to make you so scared?"

He breathed in. It seemed to help him calm down. His shoulders relaxed, and he managed to clear his eyes. "She..." He cleared his throat when his voice caught. "She read your future."

Misa thought back to when she'd given her pouch to Sha'ka. "Yes, what of it?"

Royle trembled, and Misa could feel it through his grip. "You could die."

Misa's heart leaped. She chewed her lip and trod on carefully. "She told me her fortunes aren't very clear. There are multiple interpretations for it. Maybe it's just a possibility, one of many. It doesn't mean anything, Royle."

"No, Misa." Royle had to pause to compose himself. "It's not that vague this time. She read your fortune, and you're going to die."

Misa was speechless. It was eerie to hear such bad news from the future. She felt goosebumps prickling her flesh, and the hair at the back of her neck rose